Although it will always be a better option to eat whole fruit, smoothies and fruit shakes are a good way to eat healthyespecially in the heat of summer. When preparing them, it is time to experiment and try different mixtures and combinations of flavors. However, according to a study from the University of California Davisthere are combinations that are best avoided. In their case, they refer to bananas and red fruits.
The key is in the flavanols. So much the banana like the red fruits They are very healthy. The first is especially rich in potassium, fiber and B vitamins. Forest fruits are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants such as flavanols. Precisely, it is with these that the problem arises. And, as these scientists saw in their study, bananas contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase that prevents the flavanols from red fruits from being absorbed.
First experiment. These scientists carried out several experiments to reach these conclusions. In the first, 8 volunteers participated, who were given a red fruit smoothie or a capsule with flavanols. In both cases, when blood samples were taken, it was seen that the levels of flavanol metabolites had increased. This indicates that your body was metabolizing them to extract their benefits.
However, when the process was repeated by adding banana to the smoothie, the results were very different, as the blood levels of flavanol metabolites were much lower.
In search of the culprit. The guilt of polyphenol oxidase is not a suspicion. This was confirmed in a second experiment, in which a banana and red fruit smoothie was left at room temperature. After an hour, flavanol levels had greatly decreased. However, when the process was repeated with bananas that had this enzyme inhibited, they remained intact.
Even separately. In another experiment, participants were given a smoothie made only of berries, followed by one made only with berries. banana. Again, the levels of flavanol metabolites decreased. It seems that polyphenol oxidase acts even when both fruits are put together in our stomach instead of in our blender.
There are limitations to the study. This research took place in 2023 with only 8 participants. It’s a tiny sample size, so it can’t be considered very conclusive. Furthermore, all participants were men, so it is still not a representative sample of the entire population. The authors themselves indicated at the time that it would be necessary to carry out the study with more participants. At the moment, they have not done so. They have continued researching in the area of flavanols, but not in relation to the drawbacks of mixing banana and red fruits.
Although they have focused on the need to properly choose the fruits we consume. For example, recently published an investigation which concluded that eating five pieces of fruit and vegetables is not enough to achieve the adequate dose of these antioxidants in one day. You would have to choose the best options.
Don’t despair either. If you love the combination of banana and red fruits, don’t suffer. It’s not dangerous at all. Simply, according to this study, flavanols are not extracted in the best possible way. You can resort to other additional sources and the problem would be solved. In any case, if for you banana is a dispensable complement, it may be better not to consume it with red fruits. Both fruits are very healthy, but the best option, based on this research, would be to eat them at two different times of the day.
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